§ 14 Lady Olga MaitlandTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the latest developments regarding Iraq and compliance with United Nation resolutions on the release of Kuwaiti prisoners of war and missing persons. [36866]
§ Mr. RifkindAt the September review of the United Nations sanctions, the Security Council stressed the need for Iraq to comply with all its UN obligations, including that on the Kuwait missing persons. We have stressed that Iraq must produce substantive new information on missing persons and on prisoners of war. We shall keep up the pressure.
§ Lady Olga MaitlandI thank my right hon. and learned Friend for his reply. Does he agree that it is outrageous that, five years after the liberation of Kuwait, the Iraqis are still defying United Nations resolutions aimed at securing the release of its prisoners of war? Further, has he noted that yesterday's border meeting between the Kuwaitis and the Iraqis has produced no progress and not one prisoner has been named to be released? Will my right hon. and learned Friend please bear in mind the distress of the Kuwaiti people and give the matter priority, while considering the wider issue of 1014 news of the enormous chemical and biological weapons stockpile, which has now been revealed to the world following the defection of Mr. Hussein Kamil? I understand that there is sufficient anthrax to destroy the world's population five times over.
§ Mr. RifkindWe share my hon. Friend's concern about the more than 600 missing persons. As she said, the Iraqis have not yet provided any satisfactory information as to what might have happened to them. I deeply agree with my hon. Friend that the revelations in recent weeks about the development of anthrax as a weapon of mass destruction by the regime of Saddam Hussein is a clear demonstration of the brutality and irresponsibility of the regime that still rules in that country. It explains why sanctions are still necessary until the resolutions of the United Nations have been fully complied with.
§ Mr. GunnellGiven the nature of the use of the ballot box in Iraq recently, does the Foreign Secretary agree that bringing genuine democratic processes into the region would place pressure on that regime? Does he agree that that should be started by the British Government giving full backing to the early calling of Palestinian elections to the national assembly?
§ Mr. RifkindIt is clear that the recent so-called referendum in Iraq was a farce. It has been widely recognised as such. I believe that there is serious intent to have genuine and proper Palestinian elections. An invitation has been made to send external observers and the United Kingdom, along with many other countries, will do so. We look forward to that being an important step in the right direction in the development of the Palestinian entity.